On-line registration for the Friday RJI Conference have been shut-down, you are still welcome to attend, but will need to register at the events.

The Death Penalty Versus Life Without Parole: Comparing the Healing Impact on Victims' Families and the Community

The death penalty. Life without the possibility of parole. These are society's harshest punishments. But how do they affect the victims' families? Is one more healing than the other? Is there ever closure? And what is the ripple effect on the community?

Marquette Law School's Restorative Justice Conference on February 21–22, 2013, will examine the impact of both sanctions through the personal stories of survivors, prosecutors, defense lawyers, victims' advocates, and judges. The conference is based on a groundbreaking study by Marilyn Armour of victims' families in Texas (affected by the death penalty) and Minnesota (affected by life without the possibility of parole) and the implications of these punishments for healing.

Cost

There is no fee for the Keynote Kickoff event on Thursday. Friday conference fee is $20 per person (includes continental breakfast and lunch on conference day). Marquette University students and employees may attend at no charge but must, like others, register. Paying by check? Please make check payable to Marquette Law School and mail to Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall, Att'n RJI Conference, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881.

Questions

If you have concerns about the conference cost, special dietary needs, or any questions, contact Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, Associate Dean for External Relations, Events, and Facilities, at christine.wv@marquette.edu or (414) 288-3167.

Thursday, February 21

What Difference Does It Make? How the Harshest Possible Punishment Influences Family Members of Homicide Victims Marilyn ArmourAssociate Professor and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, School of Social Work, University of Texas

Although the death penalty and life without the possibility of parole are touted as bringing closure to victims' families, little is known from survivors themselves about the impact on their lives of these sanctions. Dr. Armour will share key findings from her research on survivors in Texas (affected by the death penalty) and Minnesota (affected by life without the possibility of parole) and the implications of both punishments for survivor healing.

Marilyn Armour will summarize and connect her research findings to the experiences of the survivor panelists. The focus of her remarks will be on state differences, survivor well-being, and the reestablishment of control.

Honorable Maxine Aldridge White, Milwaukee County Circuit CourtJeanne Woodford, former warden at San Quentin State Prison, current executive director at Death Penalty Focus, and official proponent of the SAFE California Campaign

2:10 p.m. • Panel 5. Victim Support and Clergy: Personal and Professional Impact

3:00 p.m. • Honoring the Voice of Family Survivors of Homicide: Implications for the Global Restorative Justice Movement

Mark Umbreit, Professor, School of Social Work and Director, Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking, University of Minnesota–Twin CitiesIvo Aertsen, Professor at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium

Professors Aertsen and Umbreit will speak to the importance of honoring and respecting the diverse needs of family survivors of homicide, moving beyond current assumptions that routinely reflect little understanding and recognition of the voice of those who have suffered the most from the trauma of murder. Implications for the practice of restorative justice in the international community will also be addressed.